McCaffery: Give Snider an A for his accurate grading of the Flyers

Flyers chairman Ed Snider, right, speaks at a news conference last October with general manager Paul Holmgren. Asked to grade this season’s Flyers team, eliminated Wednesday by the Rangers in their first-round playoff series, Snider gave it a “B.” (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Asked to grade the 2013-14 Flyers the other day, Ed Snider didn’t hesitate, then awarded them a “B.”

That was the cue for the ever-critical to howl.

What? A passing grade — honor roll, even — for a first-round postseason failure? Who does he think he is, Josh “Huge Success” Harris? What’s next? Is he going to call his franchise a gold standard?

It’s what happens when a hockey club hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since smoking was allowed in the arena. Each team begins to carry the burdens of all the previous, coughing, wheezing editions.

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But unlike Harris, who termed a Sixers team that just one time all season closed out on a three-point shooter successful, Snider’s grade was reasonable.

The Flyers did recover from a slow start. They did set the team record for third-period comebacks. They did show growth after missing the playoffs the previous season. They did settle their goaltending issue, acquiring and rewarding Steve Mason.

“We’ve just got to worry about how we play our game, and I think we did a lot of good things this year and we see what kind of team we are,” Claude Giroux said. “We have a lot of character in this room, and there are a lot of positives.”

Wayne Simmonds developed into a reliable goal-scorer. Luke Schenn began to show some of the skill that made him a worthwhile acquisition, even at the cost of James van Riemsdyk. Jake Voracek continued to soar into any conversation about the NHL’s top players. Craig Berube proved he could coach.

And Giroux — the official target of those who ignore a whole season and then just peek under the goals column on the postseason stat sheets — is one of three finalists for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP.

“That’s what I’m saying,” Snider said. “We’re excited about the fact that we have a very young, outstanding goaltender with his future ahead of him. We’ve got one of the best players in the league in Claude Giroux. We have a lot to build around. We have a lot of good, young players. I’m happy with the core, but I know that we need more.”

There are two ways for a sports executive to respond to the grade-the-franchise trap. One is to always say, “F”, except in championship seasons. That’s safe. The other is to be accurate. And Snider was accurate.

A playoff season, an MVP candidate, a goaltending situation solved, a coaching situation stabilized, a history of late rallies, a one-goal loss in Game 7 on the road in the playoffs, development of young players?

Not that an “A” wouldn’t be a refreshing idea one of these decades, but when it comes to grading, giving the Flyers a “B” should be considered a hugely successful answer.

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Mimosas for breakfast … I don’t get it.

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Sometimes, the best ideas in sports begin with a scratched head or a muffled laugh.

So when Bernard Hopkins, age XLIX, basically called out Floyd Mayweather recently, the initial reaction was to demand that he wear headgear from now on.

But then … hmmmmm …

Boxing needs something. And Hopkins-Mayweather would be that — a confrontation of the two most recently acknowledged pound-for-pound champions at a catch weight. Mayweather would be favored, probably heavily. But Hopkins, even at his age, is a legitimate champion, a brilliant athlete, as physically fit as ever and just arrogant enough to believe he would win.

Marketed properly, a Mayweather-Hopkins showdown matching two of the most expertly prepared fighters in history could have Fight of the Year possibilities.

» Ask the old-timers why boxing is slipping in appeal, and the instant response will be that the heavyweight division is soft and that there are no good fights on free TV at a reasonable time.

(That’s what will happen. Try it. Heavyweights. Free TV. In that order.)

All of which was why what happened last weekend was a treat, Wladimir Klitschko jabbing Alex Leapai senseless to preserve his 10-year winning streak and his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO championships, live on non-premium cable late on a Saturday afternoon.

The economics of free TV and boxing will not change, even with the occasional departure from pay-per-view. But if anyone — old, young or in-between — can watch 62-3 Klitschko perform and decide that there are no longer any great heavyweights, well, they are just looking for a fight.

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Parcheesi, anyone?

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The best thing about sports is that so few things are perfect. But there is a ballpark ideally situated in a splendid sports city, uniquely designed, with honest dimensions, plenty of history and a minimum of man-made non-baseball distractions.

Perfection? Yes.

Happy 100th birthday, Wrigley Field.

» Chip Kelly cut his leading receiver and a month later revealed that it was a “football decision.” Finally, the end to that rampaging speculation that it had to do with bocce.

» Adam Silver acted quickly and admirably in imposing a lifetime ban on Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling after the release of an audiotape that had the potential to decimate the NBA’s business operations.

But until he solves the crisis that is the wink-wink OK for teams to deliberately assemble rosters destined to lose, the new commissioner will be shooting only 50 percent from the line.

» The NFL Draft will be on the flat screen at the I Don’t Get It social club. Anyone wearing a Jadeveon Clowney replica jersey gets buy-one-get-one hummus.

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The Cleveland Browns have a new coach. Go ahead. Take a guess. What’s high among his plans? Come on, take a stab at it. Don’t be shy. Think. What could the Browns possibly do to become contenders? Got it yet? How about now?